Episode 229: Finding Belonging at Work with Mark Monchek

“What can I do to create more belonging?” is a question that we should all be asking ourselves in a world where many workplaces are virtual, and screens are (inadequately) replacing real human connection. The loneliness epidemic has been on the rise since 2013, and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated it multifold, so it’s time that we do something about it. 

During today’s episode, Mark Monchek joins us for a discussion around what a sense of belonging at work looks like, the benefits of it, and how we can all go about finding it, no matter what kind of work environment we are in. Loneliness has become a habit, and the best way to break a habit is to develop new ones.

Creating a sense of belonging all starts with forming connections with other people, and there are so many different ways that organizations can facilitate those connections, from “lunch and learns” to meditation clubs to book signing events. Tune in today to hear Mark’s take on decreasing unnecessary suffering, enhancing inclusivity within and outside of the workplace, and building relationships with people who are seemingly very different from ourselves. 

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Increased levels of loneliness that came about as a result of the pandemic.
• When the American loneliness epidemic began.
• Habits that lead to loneliness.
• Negative consequences of isolation.
• How working from home enhanced levels of connection between colleagues in some cases.
• The importance of creating a sense of belonging in your organization, and examples of how to do this.
• Exploring the difference between necessary suffering and unnecessary suffering.
• The link between enhanced human connection and productivity.
• The importance of cultural evolution.
• Mark’s approach to connecting with people who seem to be very different to him.

Transcript: Here

Additional Resources:

Mark Moncheck on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmonchek/ 

Mark Monchek on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/markmonchek 

Opportunity Lab: https://opplab.com/ 

Opportunity Community: https://opplab.com/opportunity-community/ 

Links Mentioned:

How We Learned to Be Lonely: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/01/loneliness-solitude-pandemic-habit/

Talking to Strangers: https://bookshop.org/p/books/talking-to-strangers-what-we-should-know-about-the-people-we-don-t-know-malcolm-gladwell/

Sharon Spano:

Website: sharonspano.com

Facebook: facebook.com/SharonSpanoPHD

Instagram: instagram.com/drsharonspano/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sharonspano/

Book: thetimemoneybook.com

Contact: sharon@sharonspano.com

Twitter: twitter.com/SharonSpano

The Other Side of Potential Podcast: sharonspano.com/podcast/